Dedication and Commitment of Officers and Staff Recognised at Force Awards Ceremony

Incredible feats of bravery and outstanding achievement from Warwickshire Police officers and staff have been recognised.

The force’s headquarters in Leek Wootton was home to the second of two Chief Superintendent’s and Director’s awards on Monday (21 September).

A new format – designed to ensure social distancing – allowed the ceremony to go ahead after the original event, which was set to take place earlier this year, had to be delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Director of Enabling Services, Tania Coppola recognised members of staff while Local Policing Chief Superintendent Ben Smith was on hand to give out commendations.

Among the recipients was PC Robert Rumney who showed immense professionalism when faced with a challenging concern for safety incident in Nuneaton earlier this year.

First on the scene where a distressed man was threatening to jump off a bridge, PC Rumney talked to the distressed man and in partnership with a Community Psychiatric Nurse (CPN) was able to convince him to get medical help.

The efforts of “approachable, diligent and highly-respected” Rural Crime Officer, Carol Cotterill were also acknowledged at the event.

Highlighted was her passion, enthusiasm and willingness to work with partners and the local community in a bid to protect them from becoming victims of rural crime.

The professionalism, empathy and compassion of Police Staff Investigator Nicola Huckvale in her role as a Family Liason Officer in a double murder investigation in Rugby was highlighted.

Following a thorough and comprehensive investigation, a woman was sentenced to life in prison to serve at least 32 years after being convicted of killing her two daughters.

Special Inspector Mark Caddick was praised for his effective planning, motivation and communication skills – providing Special Constabulary resources for numerous pre-planned policing operations with a special mention given for his dedication to roads policing operations over the past year.

Commendations were given to Rugby Proactive CID and the Offender Management Unit (OMU).

Detective Sergeants Alan Gardner and Heidi Twynham collected the award on the team’s behalf for their work in Operation Transfer – a complicated and sensitive investigation involving the supply of Class A drugs.

As a result of five warrants being executed, a total street value of £3,500 of class A drugs were seized and the primary defendant was sentenced to more than six years in prison.

The team’s multi-agency approach, risk management not only kept the public safe but also helped to ensure an organised crime group (OCG) was dismantled.

Sergeant Jack Zielinski was commended for his hard work and skill set in forming and maintaining an effective Mental Health Triage Team.

He successfully developed a two day course, devised a professional self help guide to help explain legislation required by all officers and continue to further embed and progress knowledge and understanding of mental health issues.

Also recognised at the ceremony were Detective Inspectors Todd Lomax and Chris Cook for their dedication as part of the North Warwickshire Proactive CID and Offender Management Team.

The pair’s diligent investigation work has led to a significant reduction in burglary offences while their tenacity and productivity resulted in more than £670,000 of controlled drugs being seized.

Thanks largely to the team’s work, community confidence and the force’s reputation among partners and neighbouring forces has increased.

Crime intelligence analyst Katrina Moreton was praised for her work, which enabled a number of suspects to be located and subsequently arrested as part of a joint force investigation involving an attempted murder in Leamington.

Described as a ‘true asset to Warwickshire Police’, Communications Officer Jot Shirley was commended for his strong leadership skills as well as having achieved 100% attendance in 18 years working for the force.

And Sergeant Paul Calver was commended for his efficiency, expertise, quick-thinking and actions, which helped keep the public safe following a licensing application that could have brought 25,000 to the area with very little notice.

The tremendous leadership of Detective Sergeant Gareth Unett was recognised while his ability to create a positive working environment has produced numerous positive results.

This included a historical domestic rape case involving six victims, which saw the offender jailed for 19 years and supporting a colleague with a murder case where the defendant was given a life sentence to serve a minimum of 17 years.

Director of Enabling Services, Tania Coppola handed out four awards to staff members during the event.

The professionalism and integrity shown by Head of Corporate Communications, Kate Quilley as the force separated from its strategic alliance with West Mercia Police was recognised while Head of Human Resources, Alison Hall was commended for her involvement and leadership in redesigning and rebuilding the Enabling Services functions.

Also praised for the critical support role she provided to both Unison members and the organisation during the challenging transitional period was Barbara Williams-Yeagers.

And the ceremony saw Sam Cook recognised for his role as communications lead on a number of key operations and activities.

In particular his effort, dedication and commitment to increasing public confidence in the force was singled out.

Director of Enabling Services, Tania Coppola said: “Our aim is to provide the best possible service to our communities and workforce and each of the recipients has played a role in ensuring we continue to do just that.

“I am extremely proud of those who have received Director’s awards, particularly during a challenging period and would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for their hard work and commitment.”

Chief Superintendent Ben Smith said: “These awards have been given for the extraordinary efforts of individuals and teams across the force.

“They have displayed bravery, commitment and dedication to protecting people from harm and making our communities even safer and the officers and staff should be rightly proud of their actions. All the awards are incredibly well-deserved and it is an honour for me to be able to recognise these achievements.”

Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe added: “These awards are designed to recognise the extraordinary work of those who go above and beyond to help make our communities safer.

“Whether officers of staff, everyone has a part to play and it’s important we take the time to acknowledge and thank those hard-working professionals within the police service who dedicate their career to helping others.”